Vikings GM Strikes Gold with This Year’s FA Signings
When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah became the Minnesota Vikings’ general manager, the remit was clear: Turn around an aging squad while staying competitive. Many scoffed at the idea, but Adofo-Mensah has pretty much achieved that goal already. Part of the reason for that is an outstanding free agency class this year.
Vikings GM Strikes Gold with This Year’s FA Signings
Inside the Viking’s orbit, there was a generally good feeling about the free agency business. A couple of positions didn’t see the improvement I wanted – defensive tackle and guard – but you can’t always fix everything in one offseason. Minnesota bit the bullet, let Kirk Cousins walk, and took the $28.5 million dead cap hit. Sufficient funds were created for the Vikings to sign Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw for the long term and bring in a bunch of free agents that helped the team make this 3-0 start to the season.
Coming into the season, the general thought was that the Vikings had recruited well for a team at the start of a rebuild. Very few thought the Vikings could compete for a playoff spot. Adofo-Mensah signed six, which I will call “big name” free agents, to come in and be starters. All six have had an immediate and positive impact on the team. Just as impressive is the number of veteran depth stinging the Vikings GM made and how many are already showing up with positive contributions.
The Big Name Free Agents
Jonathan Greenard: 4-year, $76 million contract.
Through three games, Greenard has 17 pressures, 4 sacks, 6 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss, and a PFF grade of 67.2.
One of the concerns of the offseason was losing Danielle Hunter, and there was disappointment when Hunter left for Houston. However, the Vikings have gotten younger, cheaper, and just as good with Greenard, who should terrorize quarterbacks from the edge in Minnesota for years to come. This is sterling work from the Vikings GM.
Andrew Van Ginkel: 2-year, $20 million contract.
Adding Van Ginkel at the edge looked like a shrewd move to me, and so it has proved. The former Miami Dolphin has started the season on fire in Brian Flores’ defense – the man who was HC when the Dolphins drafted him. Already a firm fan favorite, Van Ginkel has 8 pressures, 3 sacks, 14 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss, a pass deflection, and an impressive pick 6 on his debut against the Giants. His PFF grade after three games is 77.1. How good has Van Ginkel to start his Vikings career? Brian Baldinger says he might be the defensive player of the year so far.
Blake Cashman: 3-year, $22.5 million contract.
The Minnesota native who played college football in his home state finally found his way back home for Year 6 of his NFL career. Blake Cashman replaced Jordan Hicks at linebacker for the Vikings, who had been solid over the last two seasons. Cashman is four years younger with more tread left on the tires, and has enjoyed a solid start to the season – particularly impressing in the game against San Francisco. Twelve tackles, including a tackle for loss, 3 pass deflections, and 1 sack, have helped him earn a PFF grade of 78.2 – sixth among linebackers across the league.
Sam Darnold: 1-year, $10 million contract.
Sam Darnold was supposed to be the bridge quarterback for first-round rookie JJ McCarthy. All Vikings fans wanted to know was when he would step aside for the rookie. Into the third game of the season, the whole of Vikings fandom held its collective breath when Darnold went down with a knee injury against the Texans. With McCarthy already lost for the season, Darnold and his teammates have made a start to the season that has Vikings fans believing something special might happen.
Thankfully, the knee injury is just a bruise, and Darnold can continue this wonderful start he’s had in Minnesota to make it more substantial. Through three games, Darnold leads the league with 8 touchdowns, with only 2 interceptions and a steady 657 passing yards. His QB rating of 73.5 is fifth best in the league, and his passer rating of 117.3 is third. His PFF grade of 82.3 ranks seventh. In short, Darnold has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this season.
Aaron Jones: 1-year, $7 million contract.
The Vikings desperately needed improvement in their rushing attack this season. They turned to the veteran Jones after divisional rival Green Bay released him. Jones will turn 30 in December, and some view that as getting too old. The running back has moved from a premium position to one that is cheap and young. Part of the reason is injuries, which have certainly been an issue for Jones, but when healthy, Jones is still a top RB both on the ground and through the air.
He’s proved that with his early stats of 42 rushing attempts for 228 yards and a touchdown plus 12 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown – with an 81.4 grade from PFF that is fourth best in the league. So far, Jones has provided the spark the Vikings were looking for.
Stephon Gilmore: 1-year, $7 million contract.
Minnesota always looked short at CB even before tragedy befell Khyree Jackson and Mekhi Blackmon, who was lost for the season with a knee injury. Right on the eve of the season, the Vikings signed Stephon Gillmore, adding a much-needed high-quality veteran presence. Outsiders who believed the Vikings had no chance of being in the playoff race thought this signing didn’t make sense.
Early results suggest otherwise. The two-time first-team All-Pro CB might now be 34, but he still has plenty to offer. Gilmore has 14 tackles, including a tackle for loss and a forced fumble on the stat sheet, and not much else because teams have rarely thrown the ball in his direction in the first three games. In addition to still being good in coverage, Gillmore is still an excellent tackler with a 91.3 run defense grade from PFF.
The Depth Signings
One thing that has been noticeable in the Vikinge’s strong start to the season is the Vikings haven’t missed a beat when they’ve had to call upon the depth players. Many of those are new signings that wouldn’t have caused much excitement when they signed on the dotted line but are proving to be more shrewd business from Adofo-Mensah.
Shaquill Griffin has been solid at CB playing in over 50% of defensive snaps. Kami Grugier-Hill stepped in for the injured Ivan Pace last Sunday and made a significant impact with an early interception and later stripping the ball out of a receiver’s hands. It was initially called a forced fumble that Gilmore recovered, but it was changed to an incompletion. Jerry Tillery has done okay as a situational pass rusher, with a couple of pass deflections and QB hits.
Jalen Redmond was another who stepped up on Sunday when injuries created an opportunity. He got his first chance to play in his NFL career and got a sack and a tackle for loss. Jihad Ward impressed playing on the interior of the DL in the first two games.
The injury to Dallas Turner meant he went back to the edge in Week 3 with less success. Turner’s return will mean he can go back to the role he carved out for himself. Trent Sherfield’s role is to be WR5/6, help with blocking, and make the occasional play. He is doing just that with 2 catches from 3 targets for 25 yards. Brett Rypien, Dan Feeney, and Fabian Moreau were also signed and remain on the roster but have not yet been called into action.
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